Purchase a Virtual Dedicated Server with Webuzo Installation

Webuzo simplifies web server management by providing a single, intuitive dashboard for Linux servers. You can easily manage websites, databases, email accounts, DNS, and FTP settings without complex server commands. With built-in support for Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and other essential tools, Webuzo gives you full control over your server right out of the box.

This article explains how to purchase a Bluehost Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) hosting plan and set up and manage your Webuzo installation.

Why Choose Webuzo?

Choosing Webuzo for your VDS gives you full root-level power without the headache of managing everything through a command line. Its lightweight design consumes minimal resources, ensuring your server's RAM and CPU focus entirely on running your websites smoothly. You get an intuitive dashboard to effortlessly handle your databases, email, security, and app deployments at a lower cost than many traditional control panels.

Uses of Webuzo

Webuzo puts complete control of your VDS at your fingertips, allowing you to handle the following tasks with ease:

• Host Multiple Sites: Manage all your websites and domains on your VDS from one organized dashboard.
• One-Click Installations: Quickly deploy popular CMS platforms, web applications, and essential development tools.
• Email & Database Control: Effortlessly create custom email accounts and manage your MySQL or other databases.
• Simplified Security: Easily install and renew SSL certificates to keep your sites secure.
• Domain & DNS Management: Configure your DNS zones and domain settings in one place.
• Backup Tools: Use Webuzo's built-in backup features to protect your files, databases, and server data.
• File & User Management: Organize your files and set up user permissions without needing advanced technical knowledge.
• Real-Time Monitoring: Keep an eye on your VDS's health, performance, and resource usage at a glance.

With Webuzo, you get the power of a dedicated server experience without the complexity of manual server management.

System Requirements

Before deploying, ensure your server meets the following minimum hardware requirements. For a stable production deployment, we recommend using higher specifications than the minimum requirements.

How to Purchase a Virtual Dedicated Server with Webuzo Installation

Webuzo can be installed on a Bluehost Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS). You can choose to have Webuzo installed during the initial VDS purchase or install it manually at a later time.

1. In your browser, go to https://www.bluehost.com.
2. Click Hosting in the top menu, then select Virtual Dedicated Server.

   
    

   You can also go to this link directly: https://www.bluehost.com/vds-hosting.

3. On the Virtual Dedicated Server Hosting page, click Explore Plans. You can also scroll down to the hosting plans section.

   
    

4. Choose a plan from either tab — Standard or High Performance — by clicking Choose Plan.

   
    

   Pricing is subject to change. Please visit https://www.bluehost.com/vds-hosting for the current introductory/sign-up offer for the Bluehost Virtual Dedicated Server hosting. For the most up-to-date renewal pricing, visit your Bluehost Portal's Renewal Center.
5. On the next page, configure your VDS hosting to meet your requirements. The configuration options are divided into the following sections:
   • Location: Select your data center in this section.

     
      

   • Hardware: This section shows your pre-selected plan. You can also switch to another Virtual Dedicated Server plan in this section

     
      

   • Software:
     If the selected plan does not meet the app's minimum requirements, the app will be grayed out.
     1. Under the Application tab, click on Webuzo.

        
         

        You can install only one application per purchase; the system will automatically select the best operating system for it.
     2. In the pop-up, click Confirm.

        
         

   • Support & Security: You can add Premium Support - Recurring, which provides priority access to expert assistance and faster response times.

     
      

   • Advanced Options:
     • Extra IP's: You can add IP addresses for an additional fee. Pricing changes based on how many IPs you add.
     • Hostname: Assign a custom hostname to identify your server. This is optional.

       
        

6. Select your billing term and review your selected items on the right pane, along with the summarized total cost.

   
    

7. Click Continue to checkout.
8. Do the following on the Checkout page:

   
   If you're new to Bluehost:

   1. Create your Bluehost account by using your email address or by connecting with your Google, Apple, or GitHub account — whichever you prefer!

      
       

   2. Select your preferred payment method: credit card, Google Pay, or PayPal. Enter your billing information.

      
       

   If you have an account with us, you will see your Bluehost login details when you are logged into your Bluehost Portal. If you are not logged in, please click the Log In link.

   
    

9. In the Shopping Cart, choose your billing term if you did not choose one on the previous page.

   
    

10. Add a Promo code if you have one, and then click Submit Payment to complete your purchase.

After completing the purchase, your VDS hosting will begin provisioning. You can access and manage your new VDS hosting in the Hosting tab of your Bluehost Portal.

Getting Started with Webuzo

Welcome to your new Webuzo server! Webuzo makes it easy to manage your web server, databases, domains, and applications from a single, centralized dashboard.

Step 1: Access your Webuzo Dashboard

After installation completes:

1. Log in to your Bluehost Portal.
2. In the left-hand menu, click the Hosting tab.

   
    

3. Locate the server you want to manage, then click View Details in the bottom-left corner to expand the section and access additional server information.

   
    

4. Click the Reset Password.

   
    

5. In the pop-up window, type your new root password, then click Reset Password again to confirm and save the changes.

   
    

6. Connect to your VDS via SSH.
   Use your VDS IP and credentials with an SSH client, follow the prompts, and enter your root password when asked:
   Replace your_server_ip with your actual server IP address.

   ssh root@your_server_ip

   Example Output:

   Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.8.0-134-generic x86_64)
   
   ********************************************************************************
   
     Webuzo
   
     Admin Panel (HTTP) : http://your-server-ip:2004
     Admin Panel (HTTPS): https://your-server-ip:2005
     User Panel  (HTTP) : http://your-server-ip:2002
     User Panel  (HTTPS): https://your-server-ip:2003
   
     IMPORTANT : A Webuzo license is required before use.
                 Get a free 15-day trial at:
                 https://www.softaculous.com/clients?ca=webuzotrial
                 Once ordered, click "Refresh License" in the Admin Panel.
   
     Admin Panel  — Username: root  | Password: (stored in /root/.app_passwords)
     User Panel   — Username: webuzouser | Password: (stored in /root/.app_passwords)
   
     NOTE: Webuzo Admin Panel uses Linux PAM authentication.
           Changing the root Linux password will also change the Admin Panel password.
   
     Initialized : 2026-07-15 21:19:43
   
     UFW firewall is enabled.
     Open ports: 22, 80, 443, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
   
     First-boot log : cat /var/log/webuzo-onboot.log
     For details    : cat /root/README.md
   
     To remove this message: rm -f /etc/update-motd.d/99-webuzo

7. If you ever need to quickly review the system's deployment notes directly inside your server terminal, you can print out the original README file by running:
   Copy

   cat /root/README.md

Step 2: Retrieve Your Admin and End-User Passwords

Since you are already logged into the server via SSH as root, you need to grab the auto-generated passwords created during the first boot.

Run the following command in your terminal:

Example Output:

root@server-123456:~# cat /root/.app_passwords
WEBUZO_ADMIN_USER=root
WEBUZO_ADMIN_PASS=abc123HeWargoTmWBDcj
WEBUZO_USER_NAME=webuzouser
WEBUZO_USER_PASS=abc123h3oxmBy0EZ

Step 3: Access the Admin Panel

1. Open your web browser.

2. Navigate to the Webuzo Admin Panel using your server's IP address on port 2004 (HTTP):

   Replace your_server_ip with your actual server IP address.

   http://<your-server-ip>:2004

   
    

3. Log in with the following credentials:

   • Username: root
   • Password: (The Admin password you retrieved in Step 2)
   Quick Tip: Log In Without a Password Using SSH

   Webuzo has a built-in feature that lets you skip the login screen entirely. If you are locked out of your account or forgot your password, you can generate a special one-time login link directly from your server's command line.

   Just open your terminal, connect to your server, and run this command:

   Copy

   webuzo --sso

   Note: Copy the link that appears in your terminal and paste it into your browser. If the link doesn't open, just change the server name in the address bar to your server's actual IP address.

Step 4: Complete the Initial Setup

Once logged in, you will see a banner stating: "Webuzo initial setup is not completed."

1. Click the link in that banner.

   
    

2. Configure your primary panel settings:

   • Admin Email Address: Enter your email to receive system alerts.
   • Fully Qualified Hostname: Enter a valid domain name pointing to your server (panel.yourdomain.com).

Step 5: Secure the Panel with SSL (HTTPS)

To stop using unsecured HTTP and switch to HTTPS (port 2005), set up a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate for the panel:

1. Inside the Admin Panel, navigate to SSL/TLS and then select Manage Service Certificates.
2. Select Let's Encrypt CA.
3. Enter your domain name (the hostname you set in Step 4).
4. Click Install.

Once complete, you can securely access your admin panel by opening your web browser and navigating to:

https://<your-domain-or-ip>:2005

Step 6: Access the End-User Panel

The End-User panel is where you actually manage websites, databases, and emails.

1. Navigate to the End-User Panel using your server's IP address on port 2002 (HTTP) or port 2003 (HTTPS). For example: http://<your-server-ip>:2002

2. Log in with the following credentials:

   • Username: webuzouser
   • Password: (The End-User password you retrieved in Step 2)

Step 7: Configure SSL for Your Hosted Websites

When you start hosting actual websites under the End-User panel, you can easily secure them:

1. Log in to the End-User Panel using port 2002 (HTTP) or port 2003 (HTTPS).
2. Inside the End-User Panel, navigate to SSL and then select Automatic SSL.
3. Select your hosted domain and click Install.

System Maintenance and Support

If you ever need to check on the health of your Webuzo server from the command line, keep these commands handy:

• Check Webuzo Status:

  Copy

  systemctl status webuzo

• Restart Webuzo:

  Copy

  systemctl restart webuzo

• Check Firewall Rules:

  Copy

  ufw status

• View Installation Logs:

  Copy

  cat /root/webuzo-install.log

• View First-Boot Logs:

  Copy

  cat /var/log/webuzo-onboot.log

Supporting Information and Sample Output

root@server-123456:~# cat /root/README.md
# Webuzo

## Description

Webuzo is a multiuser hosting control panel that simplifies web server management and application deployment on Linux servers. It provides a centralized interface for managing websites, databases, email accounts, DNS, FTP, and one-click application installation via Softaculous. Webuzo supports Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and many other services out of the box.


## Services

| Service          | Port(s)       | Purpose                        |
|------------------|---------------|--------------------------------|
| Admin Panel      | 2005 (HTTPS)  | Webuzo administrator interface |
| Admin Panel      | 2004 (HTTP)   | Webuzo administrator interface |
| End-User Panel   | 2002 (HTTP)   | Webuzo end-user interface      |
| End-User Panel   | 2003 (HTTPS)  | Webuzo end-user interface      |
| Apache/Web       | 80, 443       | HTTP and HTTPS web traffic     |
| SSH              | 22            | Secure shell access            |


## Minimum Resources

| Resource | Minimum  |
|----------|----------|
| CPU      | 2 vCPUs  |
| RAM      | 2 GB     |
| Disk     | 30 GB    |


## How to Use

SSH into your server using your cloud provider credentials and the server public IP:
    ssh root@your-server-ip
On first boot, Webuzo automatically generates admin and end-user passwords and stores them in /root/.app_passwords. Retrieve them with:
    cat /root/.app_passwords
After the VM boots, access the Webuzo Admin Panel at:
    http://your-server-ip:2004
Login with username root and the password from /root/.app_passwords.
On first login, a banner will appear stating "Webuzo initial setup is not completed." Click the link in the banner to configure panel settings, including setting an admin email address and a fully qualified hostname (e.g. server.example.com).
Access the Webuzo End-User Panel at:
    http://your-server-ip:2002
Login with username webuzouser and the end-user password from /root/.app_passwords.


## SSL Configuration

Webuzo includes built-in SSL management. HTTPS is available on the Admin Panel (port 2005) and End-User Panel (port 2003) using Webuzo's own internal certificate management. No external certbot or nginx configuration is required.

To configure SSL for the Webuzo panel:

1. Log in to the Admin Panel at http://your-server-ip:2004
2. Navigate to SSL/TLS -> Manage Service Certificates
3. Select Let's Encrypt CA and enter your domain
4. Click Install to request and install the certificate automatically

To configure SSL for hosted websites:

1. Log in to the End-User Panel at http://your-server-ip:2002
2. Navigate to SSL -> Automatic SSL
3. Select your domain and click Install

Note: A valid domain name pointing to the server IP is required for Let's Encrypt certificates.


## Useful Commands

Check Webuzo service status:
    systemctl status webuzo
View first-boot log:
    cat /var/log/webuzo-onboot.log
View Webuzo installation log:
    cat /root/webuzo-install.log
Restart Webuzo:
    systemctl restart webuzo
Check UFW firewall status:
    ufw status


## Notes

- Webuzo manages Apache, MariaDB, PHP, DNS, FTP, and email services internally. Do not install these separately as they will conflict with Webuzo.
- Admin and end-user passwords are auto-generated on first boot and stored in /root/.app_passwords (mode 600).
- First-boot events are logged to /var/log/webuzo-onboot.log.


## Links

* Manage: [https://{server_ip}:2005](https://{server_ip}:2005)
* Documentation: [https://webuzo.com/docs/](https://webuzo.com/docs/)
* Installation Guide: [https://webuzo.com/docs/installing-webuzo/install/](https://webuzo.com/docs/installing-webuzo/install/)
* Webuzo website: [https://webuzo.com/](https://webuzo.com/)

Summary

Webuzo simplifies server management by giving you a clean, intuitive dashboard to run your websites, databases, and emails without complex command-line setups. Selecting Webuzo when you purchase your Bluehost Virtual Dedicated Server (VDS) ensures your core services deploy automatically right out of the box. Its lightweight design leaves your server resources focused entirely on keeping your sites running fast, secure, and reliable. With built-in SSL automation and backup tools, you get complete control over your dedicated environment without the hassle of manual server maintenance.